Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-28
a QUEER STORY.
A Young Man il Polite and Makes
n Fatal Mistake.

II was O'Clock in the evening OF the
29th Of March, 1863, and the western eX'
press on the Union Pacific railroad was
rushing onward through the vast and open
waist Il prairie that lies along itsroute.
The night was one OF the widest ] ever
remen Der. and ne rain dashed in sheets
against the car windows, while the deep
TumblIrg of thunder often mingled with
the noise Of the train.
| bad been reIding the greater part OF
The daY. aud - the light in the ear was
uO0r, amused myself by studying the
faces II my fellOw.traycllers for It l. al
ways very interesting TO observe the differ
eut expressions Of persons IN railroad car,
when they are absorbed in Thought, anI
entirely UNCONSCIOUS that any one i looking
at Them.
WI especially attracted by the pleasant
features OF an elderly lady, who, with ?
boy about fourteen years OF age, evidently
her ,Op. va, sitting opposite me, and ~
was p, cuatiug whittier she and the boy
we're bound, she leaned over and asked me
If would be kind enough to tell her when
we arrived at the station OF Wakefield. |
roplied'that | should be pleased 10 be OF
service 10 ner, and found ont from the con-
ductor. s. hcn next hc passed. that the town
whcle she wished 10 get oil would be our
next stop.
Although the clrs OF 1865 were not near
" As comfortable as those that now run on
all tie railroads 81 this country, yet ~
contrast . It'll the wind and rain outside
they seemed pleasant. A. the stations
are MANY miles apart in the less civilized
PORTIONS Of the western states through
which this railroad passes, there are but few
stopping Places. | settled myself As COM
'ort1b, %, he seat allowed, aud listening to
nc beating rain and the storm without.
gradually t. u asleep.
must Lave slept for two or three hours,
whCn sue denly | awOke. and finding the
train bad come to a stop, helped the woman
and her ,on safely down the steps, and the
train nov Il on: but as the Wind blew the
rain into Lf face, peIrly binding mc, wa,
lid tortiIrn toltny seat and settle my.eli
down again IN the warm car. ! hui bcen
scaled ONLY short timc when the conductor
ra.Scd al.t", aud 4, he punched my ticket
inquired here the people had gone who
had occup.cd The seat opposite mine. told
him thai he'd helped them on III safety IT
our l.t stopping place. | baye never since
beheld sucl a look Of horror on any
mans cOmtcnancc Is passed for moment
ever bis face: but suddenly stepping up he
seized me by the shoulder, and exclaimed
i'm tore 90 excited \ 10 be almost a whis-
per: " Do fOu know what yOu have done
by putting tie woman and boy OF at the
lat station: TIE place where We lat
,topuCd g, not a settlement, Is you sup
ro.cd. but only tank where we took IN
water for the engine" What wa | 10 do
Without nv knowing Il | had left the wo.
4 L.. -, hat "a a. III
IN the midst Of tie prairie, more than a
hundred mics from any human beings;
besides. g.. % was Saturday night, no trains
would pa. them until Monday. | rushed
,nto the eu.Ine and told the whole story 70
tie cnen,T, cntrealng him 10 return, but
lie wouid vt, Tor be slid be was not at
Hlortv 10 c1iack under any circum,tinceS,
and be lccr,d that be might get INTO trouble
or hose vi. rIace by returning. Almost
Wild with Yrge IT the cowli dice Oi the man
I had 10 Ta'lifn 10 my seat and wit until
we ,noUld afr:yc At tie neXt station, which
took fun, la.i an hour. When ! look blcf
on that tim il seems to have been ths most
haiml thirty minutes OF ms life, FOR al.
though ", ,c1rccly to blame, aud il wa
Trough . ni.lake that they had been lett
or the pruIic, vat the thought Of that
ana That $50, perfectly p0werle,, to 90 to
thtir assistance drove me nearly 10 despair
Wien ot a-t Nercached the reXt town
w., able to procure q locomotive, aud we
started irr a wlier.tank rs fat as steam
could Gerry U.s. We reached the place As
the first iu, >iTcaks Of approaching dawn
were Yl,jlle IN tue east, Int siW nothing
of other woman or child; and although
the yfairir Tor miles around WAS searched
| have never been able 10 ind anything
thll gave d. slightest clue 10 their late.
This aWiui tragedy made a deep impros.
sion up0u me, and after long attack Of
what ms rh, stefan termed nervous pr0,tri-
ton slow ~ recovered; hut the adventure
~ that lfaI,ul night still haunts me like a
ipcrtre: aud on dark and rainy nights,
When the wind means through the trees
outside NY window HE dlures oi that
woman ami her noy di,lpp2auug through
the Tmn aie yiyidly pictured on my lmpgi-
nation.